Volunteering at KVMR... What You May Not Know!

by: Edy Cassell
Volunteer Coordinator

When I think about KVMR and what this radio station would be without volunteers, the simple answer is-it wouldn't be. KVMR has a scant paid staff of about 12 people. Contrast that with a volunteer database that contains over 700 volunteers, and you start to get the picture. Volunteers are the voices you hear on the air 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Volunteers are the folks who take your tickets at events, hang posters around town, send off your membership thank you gifts, and even clear brush around our antenna on Banner Mountain. Just to give you an idea of some of what goes on behind the scenes, I have highlighted a few of our fabulous volunteers and the jobs they do to make KVMR work. And remember, this is just a drop in the bucket! I could go on, and on, and on.

Where do all those emails go? Ever wonder who receives those emails you send off addressed to office@kvmr.org? For many years, volunteer broadcaster Brian Lee has worked remotely from his home to sort and forward those emails to the intended recipients. It is because of his volunteer efforts that your emails reach their intended destination. Thanks Brian!

Who takes care of our plants, keeping them looking vibrant and healthy? Volunteer broadcaster Connie Coale has been coming every Wednesday for years without fail to feed and water our plants, moving them around, transplanting them when necessary, and generally just keeping them healthy and...alive! We thank Connie and her green thumb for helping to keep our office environment that much more inviting!

Ever wonder who takes the minutes at the monthly Board Meetings, writes and formats them and then posts them for all to see? Volunteer Vonnie Stefflre took over this sometimes thankless but very important job last year and has been committed to it ever since. We thank Vonnie for doing this very special job for KVMR!

Whose friendly voice is it on the answering machine when you call in after hours? It is none other than volunteer broadcaster Glenn Far, who in addition to being a busy and active member of our volunteer tech crew, the host of Zen Tech on alternate Mondays and the Flea Market on Thursday afternoons also maintains our phone system, orders and buys our tech gear, and keeps us technologically up to date. Without Glenn (and his tech crew cohort Paul Castro) KVMR would probably slide back into the stone tools era.

How do these Listener's Guides get to their destinations at coffee shops and other spots around town? Volunteers, of course! From Sacramento to Placerville to Truckee there are volunteers who literally pound the pavement, bringing bundles of KVMR Listener's Guides to the locations where they are most likely to be picked up by interested listeners. There are too many volunteers to mention, and probably some we don't even know about, but next time you pick up a KVMR Listener's Guide at your favorite local spot, give a moment of thanks to the volunteer who left it there for you!